Chronic work stress and the perception of lack of recognition at work form the breeding ground for the appearance ofburnout syndrome, of the “burned worker”. A team of Spanish scientists has analyzed the variables that influence the development of the three subtypes of the disorder:frantic, unchallenged and worn.
The study, published inBMC Psychiatry, reveals the sociodemographic and labor variables associated with each of them. Using questionnaires, Jesús Montero-Marín, author of the study and senior researcher at the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences, and his colleagues surveyed a sample of 409 employees of the University of Zaragoza.
Thus they have come to the conclusion, for example, thatthe “frenetic” profile is associated with the number of working hours. A person who dedicates more than 40 hours per week to their work task is almost six times more likely to develop the syndrome, compared to another with a schedule less than 35 hours. This type of employee usually has a high involvement in their position, high ambitions and a high task overload.
Aworker engaged in monotonous tasks, prone to boredom and lack of personal development,are more at risk of developing the “no challenge” profile. Specifically, administration and services personnel are almost three times more likely to belong to this group, compared to teachers and researchers. In addition, it is a mostly male profile. “While they tend to move away from the objectives of the company, they end up developing emotional exhaustion,” explains the psychologist in statements to the SINC Agency.
For its part,the “worn out” type usually appears in people who, with a long career in the same company, end up neglecting their own responsibilities, given the lack of recognition they perceive around them. Thus, a worker with more than 16 years of service in the same workplace presents a risk five times higher to develop this type of profile, compared to another who has less than four years of service.
Whatever kind ofburnout, the worker will experienceemotional exhaustion, cynicism, or lack of effectiveness at work. The type of contract also influences the gestation of theburnout. Employees with a temporary contract are more involved with the company because they seek a relationship that provides them with greater stability. This attitude can lead to the development of a “frenzied” type profile, the same as those registered by part-time employees, “probably moonlighting,” says the expert. Regarding the academic level,the worst part of burnout is carried by the two extremes of the sample: the most educated people and those with less education.
